Tuesday, August 1, was no ordinary morning for Elizabeth Sidiropoulos at the Forest Hill Police Station for the Victorian police officer as her colleagues and friends gathered to honour and bid her farewell after completing her time as a combat officer in the Proactive Unit.
Her colleagues encouraged Sidiropoulos to continue her dedication and work, on and off-duty, though it’s hard to tell how easy this will be given her 35 years of donning the uniform and serving the community. When she made the decision to join the VicPol, more than three decades ago, she was only the second Greek-Australian policewoman ever to serve in the state.
“It was my life’s dream, as soon as I finished high school, I told my parents that I wanted to join the force. However, coming from a strict Greek family, they had different plans, believing that the police profession was not suitable for women,” Sidiropoulos told Neos Kosmos.
After pursuing her dream, the 6-year-old girl who arrived in Australia from Pella, northern Greece, managed to make it real and proudly wore the blue.
“I feel fortunate to have been given the opportunity to become the second Greek woman to join the Victoria Police in 1988, with Calliope Kwas being the first a few years earlier. This was meaningful to me because I wanted to work and contribute to society,” Sidiropoulos says.
A full career
Indeed, Sidiropoulos contributed in many ways. She began as a young officer serving at various stations, from the Greensborough Training Centre to the Town’s Patrol Team, and later at Collingwood and Kew (now Boroondara Police Station). She said she dedicated her life, to ensure the safety and protection of citizens.
She served in several divisions within the Eastern Region as a Multicultural Liaison Officer (MLO), starting as a regional MLO at Eastern Region Headquarters. Liz – as she is known in the Department – later became renowned among her colleagues for her work ethic and dedication.
Sidiropoulos is fond of the early years of her career, particularly at Collingwood where she served in various roles, as a member of the Protective Security Group & Witness Protection, when she as charged with caring for Wendy Pierce after the Walsh Street murders. She also worked as an undercover officer patrolling the old Russell Street area and served as the first secondee in the Drug Squad, where she was allowed to interview offenders for serious crimes.
Elizabeth’s commitment to community safety shone through Kew Police Station. Her networking and relationship-building skills were recognised, and after 12 months of arduous work to reduce gang-related crime, she received both the Centenary Medal and the Victoria Police Multiculturalism Award in recognition of her outstanding achievements. Then she was given the role of Multicultural Liaison Officer (MLO) in the Eastern Region.
A link with diverse communities
Sidiropoulos has been received commendations at the district level and letters of appreciation for her outstanding work from internal and external partners.
Her work as MLO was prized by the multicultural communities where she served. At her farewell it was mentioned that “there is no cultural event, meeting, or celebration where Liz’s name is not mentioned, and praise is not heard for her hard work and dedication. To say she will be missed by ethnic communities would be an understatement, and whoever is chosen to fill her role will face a very difficult task!”
A proud member of the “blue” family
Sidiropoulos accepts these comments and expressions of respect and love from her colleagues with emotion, and says that her heart “overflows with gratitude”.
“One thing I will cherish from all these years is the spirit of camaraderie, mutual support, and assistance that exists among colleagues.
“We are like one big family of police officers. Having all my family in Greece, I feel blessed to belong to this big ‘blue’ family,” Sidiropoulos says.
The first two Greek policewomen in Victoria were both from the same region she came from.
“When I was in my village a few years ago, I visited a cobbler, and during our conversation, I mentioned that I was living in Australia, to my amazement, he said, ‘then you must know Kalliope – the first policewoman – she is from the next village, Aloro.’
“It was a wonderful surprise for me, as I didn’t even know she was from my hometown,” she says.
“Since Kalliope’s time and mine, the police force has seen many women, including Greeks and I take great pride that today we have a significant number of Greeks serving in the force.”
What the next day brings
The future remains uncertain for Elizabeth Sidiropoulos in civies, for now, she is looking forward to a month-long trip to Greece, accompanied by her mother and two daughters. Her daughter Anastasia will shadowing her mother’s trajectory, is committed to public service as a paramedic.
Sidiropoulos now wants to “make up for the time she has missed, being away from her family and loved ones”.